Children’s Books

The following three books are on the shortlist for the forthcoming Bisto Book of the Year Awards.

Marie Louise Fitzpatrick’s There (Roaring Brook Press) takes a journey through the fanciful mind of a curious little girl. Where exactly is ‘There’ she wonders as she considers what she might find if she ventures to that dreamy place. Will she know how to count stars? Will there be dragons? Will other people go There? Each colourful spread, executed with Fitzpatrick’s unique charm, homes right into the enigmatic imagery of childhood.

The Third Pig Detective Agency by Bob Burke (Friday Books; €8.80 HB) is set in the gangster demi-monde of hard-boiled criminals and sleazy gin-joints. Mix Hammett, Chandler and Damon Runyon, stir in a handful of fairytale characters with dodgy attitude, add in a private eye called Harry Pigg and you have all the ingredients for a chaotic romp. The first-person narration bounces along with unflagging, laugh-aloud hilarity — a treat for any age. Harry Pigg is destined for a cult following.

Gluaiseacht is by Alan Titley (An Gúm; €7.59 HB). The nameless narrator in this story has to journey from his African homeland to what is, for him, an un-named country, but obviously Ireland. As the title suggests, the concentration is almost exclusively focused on the journey, but we do learn that the narrator is a highly individualistic lad who is most comfortable with his own company. He does, however, communicate freely with Fatima, also an evacuee, and so betrays his abject ignorance of his destination — Europe. He wonders will towns in Europe be wiped out, as was his and, with a now very ironic echo of The Mountains of Mourne, he tells Fatima that “they say there is gold to be found in the streets”. This is a most welcome addition to Irish language teen fiction, both in style and subject matter. It provides a touching insight into the mind of the immigrant. A well-structured, well-written, enjoyable read.